Container or caddy.



F. B. DAVIDSON.

CONTAINER 0R CADDY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 16. I912.

1, 1,34,99 Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

3 SHEETSSE.HBT 1.

4??726256 ea. fizz/e722 *gh/m Han/(132620145027 F. B. DAVIDSON.

CONTAINER 0R CADDY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 16. I9l2.

Patented Apr. 13,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

| I a F I 1 II F. B. DAVIDSON.

CONTAINER 0R CADDY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1912.

1,134,998. Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

FRANK 1B. DAVIDSON, OF MARSEILLES, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HOWE .AND DAVIDSON COMPANY, OF MARSEILLES, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY;

CONTAINER OR CADDY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

Application filed November 16, 1912. Serial No. 731,694.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L'FRANK B. DAVIDSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Marseilles, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Containers or Caddies; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the ac-- such articles to the retail merchant and as a receptacle in which the articlesmay be kept while in the shop of the retail merchant and from which the articles may be conveniently removed from time to time when delivered to the customer.

One object of the invention is to provide a construction 111 such boxes or containers, by which the same may be made from a piece or blank of sheet material so formed and prepared by the manufacturers thereof, that the boxes or containers may be folded fiat for shipment, and set up in form for use, or the insertion of their contents, by the manufacturer of the articles with which they are to be filled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction in such boxes or containers by which the same may be conveniently provided with a panel of glass or other transparent material through which the crackers, biscuits, or other articles contained therein may be seen, and the character thereof observed, without opening the box or container.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the ap pended claims.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved box or containe. set up in readiness for use; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom or lower end of the container, showing the flaps constituting said bottom in partially folded position; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the con tainer, taken on a vertical plane extending from front to rear of the same; Fig. 4 is a cross section of the container, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a plan section, taken on line 55 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a View of the bottom of the container with a part of the sealing strip broken away to show the construction of the flaps constituting the bottom wall thereof; Fig. 7 is a view of the blank from which the container is made;

Fig. 8 is a view of the bottom of the container showing the inner flaps folded inwardly and the outer flaps in extended position.

The bodyof the box or container embodying my invention is of tubular form and is preferably made from a single piece or blank (shown in Fig. 7), which is bent in the form of a tube, and the ends of which are secured to each other by paste, glue or other fastening means.

The tubular body of the box is shown as consisting of four connected upright walls A, A, A A provided'at their lower ends with flaps B, B, B B which are folded together to constitute the bottom wall of the box. In the particular box shown the wall A constitutes the front wall, the wall A the rear wall,'and the walls A, A the side walls of the box. The top wall C of the box has the form of a lid or cover which is flexibly connected at its rear margin with the rear wall A of the box and is preferably made integral withsaid rear wall. Said lid 'or cover C is shown as provided with marginal flangesc, c, c, on its side and forward margins, adapted to fit over the, upper margins of the front wall A and side walls A, A of the box.

Now referring to the construction of the flaps which form the bottom wall of the box, two of the same, to-wit, B, B constitute extensions of the opposite side walls A, A and are made of such length as to overlap each other when the same are folded in-. wardly into the plane of the bottom wall. Said flaps have parallel side margins, and the width of the same is substantially equal to that ofthe sidewalls A, A to which said flaps are attached. One of said flaps, B is provided in its end margin with a notch, generally of rectangular form. having an inner margin Z) which is parallel with the end margin of the flap, and lateral margins b, b, which are parallel with the side margins of the flap. The opposite flap B is provided on its end margin with a projecting portion or tongue B, which is gen erally of rectangular form, provided with an end margin b parallel with the'end margin of the flap and with lateral margins or shoulders 6 5 which are parallel with the side margins of the flap. The inner margin Z) of the notch in the flap B is so arranged as to be approximately in line with the end margin of the main part of the flap B when said flaps are folded together, so that the tongue B will extend over or overlap the body of the flap B inside of the inner margin b of the notch. The width of said. notch is, moreover, substantially equal to that of the tongue B so that when the said flaps aB' and B are folded together. the side margins or shoulders of the notch and tongue will engage each other in such manner as to hold the meeting ends of the twoflaps frommoving or shifting laterally with respect to each other. The contact of the end margin of the flap B, at the sides of the tongue, with the ends of the margin 6 of the notch, also serves to hold the said flaps B and B from movement toward each other, and thereby aids in holding the lower margins of the side walls A and A from being collapsed or forced inwardly by external pressure thereon.

The flaps B, B on the side walls are first folded inwardly, in the folding of the flaps constituting the bottom wall, and the same will be hereinafter called the inner flaps. The flaps B, B which are attached to the front and rear walls of the box, are folded inwardly outside of the said inner flaps and will be hereinafter called the outer flaps. Said outer flaps B, B are both made of substantially the same length and have inclined or oblique side margins 6, b which give, in general, a tapered form tothe said outer flaps, which are narrower at their outer than at their inner ends. At their outer ends, said outer flaps are laterally notched to provide extensions B", B, arranged'in opposite relation to each other, so that their inner margins meet each other edge to edge, when the said flaps are interfolded. Said extensions are provided with laterally extending, and oppositely disposed locking tongues b, I); The said locking tongues are, moreover, located at a distance outwardly from the end margins 5 6,of said outer flaps, so that notches, at least equal in I width to the width of the locking tongues,

are formed between the said tongues and the margins 6 b". Said-end margins 6 b, are, moreover, so disposed as to substantially meet or abut against the corresponding end margins 6 6 of the extensions B, B on said outer flaps. When said outer flaps are folded together, the tongues b b, are mserted laterally beneath the inner margins v masses of the extensions and the tongues on the two flaps are engaged with each other, edge to edge, at their inner margins so as to lock the outer flaps from spreading apart.

From the construction described it will be understood that when the inner flaps are folded inwardly and in substantially the same plane, their parallel side margins will bear against, and thereby serve to support and hold from inward bending or fiexure, the 'lower margins of the front and rear walls A, A the box. Moreover, by reason of the fact that the inner flaps meet or overlap at their end margins and the outer flaps engageor bear against the side margins of said inner 'flaps, said outer flaps when folded inwardly over the inner flaps and interlocked, will support or sustain said inner flaps against the effect of downward pressure acting on the inner flaps in a direction to force or press the same downwardly or outwardly. It follows from the above that the inner flaps, constructed as described, in connection with the interlocking outer flaps, afi'ord a very strong and rigid con-' struction in the bottom wall of the box. The interlocking of the tongue and notch on the inner flaps acts to hold the bottom part of the box from distortion under pressure coming on its diagonally opposite cor ners, and also to resist inward. bending or flexure of the lower parts of the side walls A and A. Moreover, the engagement of the side margins of said inner flaps with the outer flaps, as well as the interlocking of the said inner flaps with each other. atthe central parts 'ofthe same, affords rigidity in the bottom wall by which it is adapted to resist downward pressure due to the weight of the contents of the box.

For the purpose of holding theinner an outer flaps in contact with each other, when folded inwardly and interlocked as described, and to add strength and rigidity to the bottom wall of the box, a sealing or closing strip D, (Figs. 3, 4 and 6) of flexible material, such as tough paper, is applied across the bottom wall and secured by adhesive material to the. outside surfaces .of both the inner and outer flaps; the end por-- tions of said strip being brought intocontact with and secured to the parts of the inner flaps exterior to the tapered side margins of the outer flaps. Said sealing strip is shorter in length than the distance between the side walls of the box so that its ends terminate within the side margins of the bottom and do not extend upwardly upon or over the side walls of the box, which will usually be decorated or ornamented so as to- ',give an attractive appearance to the box.

flaps c, c on the front flange, which are folded over the adjacent ends of the side flanges and secured thereto by metal fasteners or rivets c 0 As a further improvement in boxes or containers made of flexible sheet material and adapted for the purposes stated, I provide in one of the walls thereof, preferably the front wall A, a removable panel E formed by a portion of the wall itself, which is partially severed at or around its margins from the said wall in such manner that it may be easily detached therefrom. As shown, the panel E is partially severed from said wall A by means of a plurality of slits e, 6 (Fig. 4) so constructed as to leave between their ends short connecting members e, e, sufficient in number to suitably support the panel. Said connecting members may be easily cut through by a knife or other implement when it is desired to re- 7 move the panel from the box. The opening left by removing the panel will, during the use of the box, be covered by a sheet F of transparent material, such as glass, trans- Such trans parent sheet F will be made somewhat larger than the opening formed by the removal of the panel and will be applied against the inner face of the wall in which said opening is formed.

The sheet F of transparent material, so applied to cover the opening formed by removal of the panel E, may be secured to 'the wall of the box in any desired manner,

.but, as a further improvement, I provide a construction especially adapted for use where the panel is located near the bottom wall of the box, as follows: The inner flaps B, B of the bottom wall, are provided at their side margins, adjacent to the front wall A with narrow extensions or flaps B, B, adapted to be folded upwardly to form flanges on the flaps, and which, when the box is set up or completed, are located in a position parallel with and inside of the lower portion of said front wall A. The flaps thus arranged serve as a means of holdingor securing the lower margin of the transparent sheet against the said front wall, said lower margin of the transparent sheet being inserted at its lower edge besaid flanges.

tween the lower part of the front wall and When the lower margin of the transparent sheet is thus held by flanges on the inner flaps of the bottom wall. its upper margin may be confined or held by means of a strip G (Figs. 3 and 4) of tough paper, or other like material, secured by adhesive material to the inner face of the wall and overlapping or extending over the marginal part of the transparent sheet above the opening formed by the detach-,

ment of the removable panel.

In preparing the box for the insertion of its contents, the removable panel E is left in place and the transparent sheet F is applied over the panel and, secured in place, as described. The box will then be filled and its top closed. The box will be shipped in this conditionto the retail merchant. In so shipping the box, it will usually be placed within an outside box or container, so as to protect the box from injury, or defacenient, such as would be detrimental to its appearance when upon the grocers shelves, or when in use in a retail shop. When the filledbox is received by the retail merchant the latter will entirely remove or detach the panel E, so that the contents of the box will be visible through the transparent sheet in the same manner as in the case of the similar metal boxes which have heretofore been usually provided with openings covered by attached glass panels, for the same purpose- It will of course be understood that the removable panel E will be left in its original position during the shipment of the box, and will thus serve to protect the glass or transparent sheet frombreakage or injury in transit and until the box reaches the hands of the retail merchant.

The blank from which the box embracing the features above described is preferably made, consists of a single piece of paper-board, straw-board, or other like material, as shown in Fig. 6. 'As is clearly illustrated in this figure, the four sections A, A, A ,A corresponding with the correspondingly lettered walls of the box, form a single elongated piece or blank, having on the side margin of the section A a flap A" adapted to be secured to the meeting margin of the section A at the opposite end of.

said flaps is provided with tongueso, 0,

as heretofore described. The parts upon the several flaps, by which the interlocking of the said flaps is accomplished are, in the view of the blank (Fig. 7), lettered to correspond with the parts shown in the other figures of'the drawings. When the blank has been made into tubular form, as described, it may be collapsed into flat form "by the flexing of'the blank at the diagonally opposite corners of the body; the several flaps on the blank being allowed to remain in their extended or unfolded positions. In this condition the blank may be shipped by the manufacturer thereof to the maker of the articles to be packed therein, with the usual advantages gained by shipment of boxes or cartons in knock-down form. The blanks may be easily set up for use, and the transparent sheets inserted therein, as hereinbeforevdescribed.

While the removable panel E is shown as located at the lower part of the front wall and outer flaps are so additionally held in place by QdlIBSlXG material or not, the presence of the sealing strip serves to close or seal the bottom wall of the box in a manner to prevent the entrance of insects and to avoid the liability of escape of small particles from the interior of the box.

A carton embodying the features of construction set forth may be variously modilied with respect to its details, and I do not, therefore, desire to be limited to the specific construction illustrated except as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A container, made of heavy paperboard or the like and having connected side walls and a bottom wall, the latter comprismg two inner flaps folded inwardly and adapted to overlap each other at their end margins, and two outer flaps folded inwardly against said inner flaps; said inner flaps being provided, one with a notch, and the other with a tongue, said tongue being made of the same width as and adapted to enter said notch, the tongue projecting past the inner margin of the notch and overlapping the body of the adjacent inner flap inside of the inner margin of said notch, with the end margin of the inner flap at the sides of the tongue in contact with the ends of the inner margin of said notch, when said inner flaps are interfolded, and said notch and tongue being provided with parallel, lateral margins forming shoulders adapted to engage each other to hold said inner flaps from relative lateral movement; said outer flaps being provided with interlocking parts adapted to hold said outer flaps against said inner flaps.

=-. 2.'A container, made of heavy paperboard or the like and having connected side walls and a bottom wall, the latter comprising two inner flaps folded inwardly agrees flaps being provided, one with a notch, and

the other with a tongue made of the same width as and adapted to enter said notch;

of the notch and overlappingthe body of the adjacent inner flap inside of the inner margin of said notch, when said inner flaps are interlocked, said outer flaps being provided with oppositely disposed extensions, the lateral margins of which are parallel with each other, said extensions being provided with laterally disposed locking tongues separated from the end margins of said outer flaps by locking notches, the locking tongues being adapted to enter said locking notches and overlap the adjacent extensions, with the end margins of said ex tensions abutting against the end margins of said outer flaps, when said outer flaps are interlocked.

3. A container, made of heavy paperboard or the like having connected side walls and a bottom wall, the latter consisting of two inner flaps folded inwardly and adapted to overlap each other at their end margins, and two outer flaps folded inwardly against said inner flaps, said inner flaps being made of the full width of the 1 side walls to which they are attached, and

said inner flaps being provided, one with a notch, and the other with a tongue made of the same width as and adapted to enter said notch, said tongue projecting past the inner margin of the notch and overlapping the body of the adjacent flap inside of the inner margin of said notch, when the inner flaps are interfolded, said outer flaps having laterally inclined side edges, giving tapered form thereto, and being provided with oppositely disposed extensions, and on the adjacent side margins of said extensions with laterally disposed locking tongues, adapted to have endwise engagement with each other and to overlap the adjacent extensions on said outer flaps, when said outer flaps are interfolded, and a strip of flexible material adhesively secured to the outer flaps and to those portions of the inner flaps exterior to the inclined side margins of said outer flaps, thereby connecting all of said flaps.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 4th day of November A. D. 1912.

' FRANK B. DAVIDSON. Witnesses: K EUGENE C. WANN, GHARLas H. Poona.

the tongue projecting past the inner margin 

